WMP 11...What the Competition is up to...

DiddeLeeDoo · Post by **DiddeLeeDoo** » Mon May 22, 2006 5:33 am

I'm not surpriced... WMP's task is to create something you mother would like... simple, and for a collection of maybe 50-200 CDs..

Welcome back to the music 'nut-house'

Just remember that banana tree over there to the left is mine...

Post by **Lowlander** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:23 am

Large collections have always been WMP's weak point, but the same goes for most players.

Nebbin · Post by **Nebbin** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:35 am

Agreed - but I suppose I was expecting more from wmp11. Can anyone tell me WHY Mediamonkey is so good when other players are not? I mean, it uses Microsoft's Access database. Trixmoto's BrowseByArt script (for example) uses Microsoft's Internet Explorer. It's based in Microsoft's Windows XP. Yet Microsoft seemingly can't create an audio player efficient enough to compete.

Maybe there's more going on, I don't know, but from this user's perspective, the creators of Mediamonkey are akin to gods

(Ok, maybe I went over the top a little, and I certainly don't intend to sacrifice any goats, but they have indeed earned an incredible amount of respect and appreciation for their efforts.)

julzcompufreek · Post by **julzcompufreek** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:41 am

Yeah, like you, DiddeLeeDoo, I pretty much only use WMP for videos, its pretty good for that. But I remain true to MediaMonkey, and I have so for almost 2 years now, and have not turned back. Sure WMP 11 looks fancy, but it doesnt have the grunt that MM has.

I've been trying to convince one of the techie friends that MM is so much better than WMP 11 (he is over the moon about WMP 11 Beta) but then again, thats his loss!

VOTE 1 FOR MEDIAMONKEY!!!

rovingcowboy · Post by **rovingcowboy** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:18 am

julzcompufreek wrote:Yeah, like you, DiddeLeeDoo, I pretty much only use WMP for videos, its pretty good for that. But I remain true to MediaMonkey, and I have so for almost 2 years now, and have not turned back. Sure WMP 11 looks fancy, but it doesnt have the grunt that MM has.

I've been trying to convince one of the techie friends that MM is so much better than WMP 11 (he is over the moon about WMP 11 Beta) but then again, thats his loss!

VOTE 1 FOR MEDIAMONKEY!!!

get that friend to your computer show him how fast monkey is with search on a large database. that should change his mind.

and since he is at your desk you can then put a foil hat on him and mind meld him in to liking media monkey..

why the foil? to keep the microsoft satilites from zapping him when your trying to show him something better.

DiddeLeeDoo · Post by **DiddeLeeDoo** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:37 am

Unlike WMP that's made by employed people, MediaMonkey is made with passion and I'm sure many many late nights with perfecting each little detail.

I think that's a major core difference. Another HUGE difference is that MM team is listening. For awhile ago I spottet a Major mistake Microsoft have done in one module of the Windows system. Because of this mistake an important part of communication is just chaos outside the US. However, how do you tell MS about these things.. I tried, but faced burn-out before even getting through. I'm waiting to see if they have changed it in the upcoming Vista version.

Nebbin · Post by **Nebbin** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:45 am

I'm thinking I was a little harsh on wmp 11 the first time I fired it up. It seems that a lot of the lag is due to its method of getting info from tags or buffering when you scroll down to view them (ie for the first time). This lag is truly horrible, but once it's got what it needs it's a lot faster... although still a ways behind MM.

The sad thing is that I can't seem to find a way to have wmp get this info in the background while idle - it needs you to scroll to them

(There's no cpu usage while idle, but I instantly get about 30-40% as soon as I scroll to somewhere new.) This also doesn't seem to carry over to the next session as If I close and reopen it usually goes straight back to re-buffering (or whatever it's doing). Maybe this is just a beta thing. Also, I find it worse when viewing under the songs tab as opposed to album or artist tab.

I think I'll reserve final judgement until we see a non-beta version.

julzcompufreek · Post by **julzcompufreek** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:52 am

I think I'll reserve final judgement until we see a non-beta version.

Yeah, if we ever see a non-beta version!

All of these big companies such as Google and Microsoft seem to be keeping many of their programs and services in Beta for (soon they will be keeping them in Alpha, lol!). I think it is because it seems more exclusive.

Steegy · Post by **Steegy** » Tue May 23, 2006 5:57 am

Thankfully, the new Windows Live Messenger has been in beta, as also Microsoft Anti-Spyware (now Windows Defender).
Without beta's (so without a lot of user feedback), these programs would be something for the bin.

Thanks to the early beta of Live Messenger, it now is much more like the previous versions. Thanks to user feedback, they left the new annoying features out.

But I agree, everything seems to be in beta these days. Maybe also because development has to go faster and faster, and the users want to get pleased as soon as possible.

julzcompufreek · Post by **julzcompufreek** » Tue May 23, 2006 6:32 am

Yeah, the world is really moving fast now.

Everyone wants it right here, right now (ok ok, I did quote the "Fatboy Slim" song). Same goes for Windows Vista, now it doesnt take much to get invited to beta test it, when you used to have to work at Microsoft or have propper qualifications to beta test any Windows operating system.

Also, with higher-speed internet connections, people are able to download these Beta versions of software and operating systems really easily.

I think Microsoft is really feeling the pressure of Google, imagine, soon there will be a Google operating system!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:47 pm

DiddeLeeDoo wrote:Instead of System Restore, I'd suggest the same as Lowlander, search for MediaMonkey.mdb first.. I do not have a loving relationship to System Restore really.

If you want to get rid of WMP11, the best place is Control Panel - Add/Remove Programs, and make sure the CheckBox "Show Updates" is ticked in.

Microsoft Updates tend to Hide from the ordinary Add/Remove Program list, and you need to do that 'Show Updates" tick to see Microsoft stuff...

I think there is very little chance for you MediaMonkey database to be gone... Actually I saw onken_enno made a tiny program that allow you to manually choose where the MediaMonkey database is located.

Tried this, along with using Norton's UnDelete... no luck

Post by **Lowlander** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:50 pm

Then it seems to be gone. And as the WMP 11 beta license says they are not responsible for any errors that occur.

For the future you might want to try the backup script that can be found in the scripts forum. So if some other player decides they don't like MediaMonkey you still have a backup.